Liver ICU and Liver Critical Care

Liver ICU

Patients with liver failure or those who have undergone transplant are physiologically distinct and require far more than routine critical care. Their management requires a specialised set of protocols, and advanced multi-organ support that conventional ICUs are not equipped to provide. 

Zydus Hospitals operates one of the few dedicated Liver ICUs in India, built specifically to manage complex conditions including acute liver failure (ALF), acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), acute decompensation of cirrhosis, variceal bleeding, post-transplant monitoring, multi-organ failure, complex metabolic liver diseases, hepatic encephalopathy (coma), and sepsis with liver dysfunction.

This subspecialty ICU plays a decisive role in improving survival outcomes for patients with advanced liver disease.

Key features include:

• Specialized 1:1 nursing ratio

• Advanced hemodynamic monitoring

• Neuro-Monitoring for Hepatic Encephalopathy (frequent neuro-assessment, ammonia level tracking, cerebral edema protocols, and scalp EEG-if required)

• CRRT (Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy)Essential for patients with hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), high ammonia levels, fluid overload, severe acidosis, multi-organ failure

• Advanced ventilatory support

• Crucial for lung-protective ventilation, pressure-controlled modes, prone ventilation for ARDS, nitric oxide therapy (selected cases), early extubation strategies post-transplant

• Liver support systemsThe Liver ICU integrates high volume plasma exchange (HVP), standard plasma exchange, albumin dialysis (if regional availability), and advanced detox therapies. These can be livesaving in patients with Wilson disease acute liver failure, utoimmune hepatitis flare, regnancy-related liver failure, and severe alcoholic hepatitis (selected cases).

Liver ICU patients are inherently immunocompromised and highly vulnerable to infections, making stringent infection control essential.

At Zydus, we prioritise infection prevention through strict hand hygiene practices, well-defined broad-spectrum prophylaxis protocols, dedicated isolation facilities, and negative-pressure rooms when required.

Daily infection huddles ensure early detection and rapid response, while a structured antibiotic stewardship program promotes judicious antimicrobial use. Together, these measures significantly reduce ICU-acquired infections and contribute to safer, more effective liver critical care.